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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26566210">Bright</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/funnygirlthatbelle13/pseuds/funnygirlthatbelle13'>funnygirlthatbelle13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Gift Giving, Pining, Teasing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:16:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>957</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26566210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/funnygirlthatbelle13/pseuds/funnygirlthatbelle13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Caleb gets Jester a present just because... and she wants to make the most of it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bright</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlekoalawings/gifts">Littlekoalawings</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy birthday, Kayla!!!!! I hope you enjoy!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was supposed to be looking for components. He was supposed to be stocking up on bat shit and sulfur and molasses before meeting up with the others. He was not supposed to be standing in the middle of the street staring dumbly at a window display. And yet, here he was, the crowds jostling him as he stared into the boutique window.</p><p>You idiot, he thought, you fucking idiot. It’s useless. Are you really going to waste gold on this? It won’t make any difference.</p><p>But the fabric looked so light and flowy, and the shimmering material that looked as if golden thread had been woven in would glint and gleam just like the tattoo on her-</p><p>It was useless. He was useless. But then he imagined her glowing smile when receiving the gift, and he was useless to fight against it.</p><p>*<br/>
Caleb stared at the page in front of him, feeling as if he had cast slow on his own mind. He had gotten up early to get some reading  done, but it seemed to him that he’d read this paragraph thirty times, though he might as well have tried to eat the page to understand it at this point. </p><p>The others should be getting up soon, he thought. They hadn’t made any plans for the day, but if things felt too slow now, having the Mighty Nein around would surely fix that. </p><p>“Cay-leb!”</p><p>And so it began. He turned, ready to greet Jester, before his jaw dropped. He closed it immediately, swallowing tightly as he stared. </p><p>“What do you think?” she asked.</p><p>She looked more radiant than the sun, beaming as she crossed the room at full speed towards him, the pale, shimmering yellow fabric glittering behind her as she did so. </p><p>“You look wonderful, blueberry,” he mumbled. </p><p>And she did. The thin straps over her shoulders did nothing to hide her glittering diamond tattoo. The ruffle that went from the off the shoulder sleeves across her chest bounced as she came to a stop in front of him. </p><p>“Cay-leb! This dress is so beautiful!” she cried as she spun around. The skier took to the spin quite well, creating a dramatic effect around her. </p><p>He felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards of their own accord. </p><p>She really was just too wonderful. </p><p>“It suits you,” he mumbled as he glanced downwards, hoping that he wasn’t blushing as much as he felt like he was.</p><p>“Caleb,” Jester said sweetly, and he could feel her entering into his bubble of personal space. “You didn’t need to do this. You didn’t get anybody else a present. Why?”</p><p>“How do you know that I bought it?” he shot back immediately.</p><p>Jester giggled, and his head shot up immediately. Gods, she was so close. He could smell her lavender oil, sweet and intoxicating in an almost hypnotic way as the scent traveled from his nose to his chest to his very soul. </p><p>“Cay-leb,” she said, her face landing somewhere between a smile and a smirk, “Nobody else gives me presents just because.”</p><p>“You deserve it,” he stared as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. And it was. Jester deserved to be happy, selfishly. She deserved these sparks of joy, and he would keep doing whatever he could to give them to her. </p><p>Jester grinned, and the light glinted off of her fangs. </p><p>“So,” she said, “What should we do now that I have this pretty dress?” she asked, “Oh! We could go dancing again; you still owe me a waltz! Or have a picnic! Do you think Caduceus has a hammock?”</p><p>Caleb gave himself a moment to process all of these suggestions before nodding. </p><p>“Ja, I mean, we can ask the others when they,” he began before Jester sighed loudly. </p><p>“Cay-leb!” she cried, “That’s nowhere near as cool!” </p><p>The memory of a secret garden in Rosohna thrust itself to the forefront of his mind. She would love it. She’d be the brightest light one the entire city. No, it was selfish. He didn’t deserve-</p><p>Jester looked so excited, though. Maybe if he was helping her be selfish, it wasn’t selfish on his part? </p><p>“I-I think I know a place, if you wanted to teleport somewhere,” he offered. </p><p>Jester’s eyes lit up. </p><p>“Ja?” she asked. Gods, her eyes sparkled brighter than any diamond. </p><p>“Ja, lets go.”</p><p>Jester grinned at him, grabbing his hand. His heart began began to pound rapidly. What was she- </p><p>“You ready to go?” </p><p>Ah, just that. </p><p>“I, uh, should probably get dressed up as well, ja?” he suggested. </p><p>“I think you look very nice already,” Jester said, her words dripping with sincerity, “Purple is such a good color on you!” </p><p>Don’t let her see how flustered you are, he reminded himself firmly. </p><p>“O-okay,” he said, feeling very suddenly out of breath, “But I have… components upstairs that I need to grab before we can leave, if that’s alright with you.”</p><p>“Of course it is, Caleb!” Jester responded instantly, brightly, “I’ll just write a note letting everybody know we’ll be back tonight… unless you have plans for tonight, too.” </p><p>Was she making him blush on purpose? Did she know he glanced at her, wagging her eyebrows at him. She knew exactly what she was doing. </p><p>“I mean, if you are worried about being out too late, we don’t have to go.”</p><p>Jester pouted, her lips jutting out dramatically, and Caleb couldn’t help but chuckle.</p><p>Four minutes and forty-six seconds later, he had composed himself as best as he could and met his hair down before rejoining Jester in the library. </p><p>“Ready to go?” he asked. </p><p>Jester nodded eagerly, grabbing into his hand tightly.</p><p>“Then let's go light up the town, ja?”</p>
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